Pep Guardiola’s influence on Manchester City
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Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City didn’t just win their last match, they completely annihilated their opposition. Guardiola ended his first season in charge of the citizens without winning a single trophy, a disappointment considering a number of factors. Heralded as one of the best managers in the world, The Spaniard came to the Premier League with a lot of expectations on him, and he was essentially given a blank cheque by Manchester City to improve a side already considered by many to be the best squad in the league.
His first season saw him spend almost £200million on players, but with nothing to show for it. This justified what a number of football fans and analysts have said about him being an opportunist whose successes have only been because of the world-class players he’s always had at his disposal. What some of his detractors seem to ignore is the fact that Manchester City may have world-class attackers, but their defence was aging. A problem the Spaniard apparently set out to solve as he went into the next transfer window.
The 2017/2018 transfer window saw him spend almost £250million on the squad, bringing his spending to £430million in just two windows. £130million of that was spent on defenders, and that already looks like an inspired decision.
The new season is underway and the City side look like a more balanced side than they did last season; not only are they blowing teams away now, they are doing it with more defensive solidity. So far this season, they have beaten two teams five-nil, one team 4-nil, one team 6-nil and their most recent opponent 7:2. Compared to last season, not only are they a much bigger threat going forward, but they can now also hold their own defensively now against more attacking oppositions.
One might say that playing good football after spending £430million is hardly a managerial masterstroke, but spending alone does not guarantee success, and compared to his counterpart on the other side of Manchester, his team actually looks like a team with some intent.
Pep’s recruitments have also been smart and with an eye on the future. Six of his signings are under twenty-five years old, and not only are they brilliant signings for the future, they are already delivering the goods too; John Stones, Benjamin Mendy, Ederson, Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus, and Bernado Silva are part of a breed of upcoming world beaters that will be key to Manchester City’s success for years to come regardless of how long Pep Guardiola’s stays.
The argument that this should be expected of a team that has spent £430million on players in just two transfer windows may be a valid one, but one cannot argue the fact that Pep Guardiola has transformed this Manchester City side from an inconsistent and unbalanced side to a more confident and well-rounded team capable of taking on any team in the world right now.
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